I don't own Star Wars: The Clone Wars or its characters
I only own Nadia Aomori and my other OCs
Enjoy:)
Threads of Destiny
Chapter 30: The Citadel
Captured!
Returning from a perilous assignment in the Outer Rim, Jedi Master Even Piell's cruiser has fallen under attack and been boarded.
Seeking vital information he carries about secret hyperspace lanes called the Nexus Route, Separatist forces have taken him alive.
Now the Jedi are preparing a stealth mission into the heart of Separatist space in an effort to rescue Master Piell from the deadly prison known as the Citadel.
Nadia was in one of the large dining rooms, eating a stew with RG-G1 accompanying her.
The raven haired girl was telling her droid of her experience in Mortis with her Master and friends.
"So that's the story, RG-G1."Nadia complemented."The Father said I was a blessed and a cursed being."
RG-G1 let out a grumpy beep, not happy what the Father has told Nadia before his death.
"It can't be helped. I'm a being combined with Jedi and Sith DNA."Nadia stated."As for Master Yoda? He said I should be more careful to not let any bad emotions get the best of me. Then again, I'll still be the Nadia you know and love."
A bright and happy beep escaped from RG-G1 as Ferus arrived next to Nadia.
"Hey, Dia and RG-G1."Ferus greeted and notice the stew his girlfriend was eating."What are you eating?"
Ferus became disgusted when he notice a dead yellow slug emerging up from Nadia's bowl.
"Ugh."Ferus scowled."What is that?"
"It's an apple slug stew. This tasty dish is made with ripe apple slugs, Ojomian onions, space-carrots and a pinch of negamo."Nadia complemented in a posh tone."It's a takeaway I got from Dex's Diner. You should try it."
Nadia placed an apple slug in her mouth using her spoon and murmured in delight causing Ferus to gag in disgust.
"No thanks."Ferus said uncomfortably."I prefer my meals without bugs."
Nadia simply shrugged as she continued eating her stew.
"What's up, Ferus?"Nadia asked."Did something came up?"
"It actually did, Dia."Ferus declared."Ahsoka is looking for you. She heard that Anakin and Obi-Wan are heading off to rescue Master Piell and-"
This caused Nadia's eyes to widen and quickly slurp down her soup quickly before cleaning her mouth with a napkin.
"Oh my gosh! They're heading to the Citadel!"Nadia gasped."Thanks for telling me, Ferus!"
Nadia headed out of the dining room as Ferus scoffed and slightly shrugged in defeat.
"You want to spend time with your gal and then you mention something that leads her to the battlefield which ruins the plans you attempted to do with her today."Ferus retorted in annoyance.
RG-G1 laughed lightly at Ferus' misfortune.
Nadia was rushing in the Temple looking for Ahsoka since it was her second time being late on a day for an important mission.
A few minutes later, the raven haired girl found her best friend and the two of them walked together to find their Masters.
"Dia, you really need to improve your morning habits."Ahsoka retorted.
"I'm sorry, Soka."Nadia apologised sheepishly."I guess I've been more leisure going and less action for the past few days."
Then the two girls arrived to their destination, just in time for them to see Anakin and Obi-Wan with Master Plo Koon.
"Masters."Ahsoka and Nadia greeted in unison.
Ahsoka and Nadia bowed at Anakin, Obi-Wan and Plo Koon.
"We're sorry we're late."Ahsoka apologised."We just heard about the briefing."
"So we're going to rescue Master Piell, right?"Nadia assumed.
Plo Koon glanced at Anakin and Obi-Wan.
"You four have much to discuss."Plo Koon admitted.
Plo Koon then walked away, leaving Obi-Wan and Anakin to talk with Nadia and Ahsoka.
"Ahsoka, Nadia, I'm sorry we didn't tell you two earlier, but you two won't be coming along on this one."Anakin replied.
This caused both Ahsoka and Nadia to frown in disapproval.
"You're kidding, right?"Nadia scoffed.
"Not coming?"Ahsoka questioned in disbelief."But you're breaking into the Citadel. Nobody's ever done that."
"The Citadel wasn't designed to hold common criminals, Ahsoka and Nadia."Obi-Wan clarified."It was designed to hold Jedi, if any of us lost our way."
"It's not a place for Padawans."Anakin added.
"You two are just being protective again."Ahsoka retorted.
"Exactly. That's not fair."Nadia admitted with her arms folded."How are we supposed to learn if you two won't let us share the risk?"
"This isn't a mission for learning, you either do or die."Anakin warned.
"And that's not a risk we're willing to share."Obi-Wan admitted.
Obi-Wan and Anakin then walked away leaving their Padawans with disappointed looks.
However, as the two men left, Ahsoka and Nadia shared secretly a smirk with each other.
It looks like they both had the same idea to officially attend their Masters' mission without their permission.
Afterwards...
Obi-Wan and Anakin were preparing to go to their rescue mission while Ahsoka and Nadia went up to Plo Koon.
"Master Plo?"Ahsoka spoke up."May we speak with you?"
"What is it, little Soka and young Dia?"Plo Koon questioned.
"It's about the mission."Nadia answered."Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker don't want us to go."
"That is their choice."Plo Koon replied.
"I know, but I think he's being overly protective."Ahsoka complemented."He's picking and choosing which assignments I can be a part of."
"I agree. Even Master Kenobi is like that ever since we returned from Mortis."Nadia agreed with a frown."They believe we can't handle the bigger missions because we're their Padawans despite becoming stronger thanks to their training."
"They are your Masters."Plo Koon answered.
"Yes, but it's not for them to decide."Ahsoka stated."When and how we should put our lives in danger that should be our choices."
Anakin, Obi-Wan and the Clone Troopers were walking up to a carbon freezing machine.
"I've never been carbon frozen before, General Skywalker."Rex responded.
"It's the first time for us too."Anakin replied.
Obi-Wan gives Anakin a look.
"This is your idea?"Obi-Wan questioned, not fond with his former apprentice's plan."Carbon freezing?"
"Hey, you wanted to shield us from the life-form scanners."Anakin sneered with a smile.
"Are, uh, we sure this thing is safe?"Fives asked."I don't want to end up a wall decoration."
"Try to relax."Obi-Wan instructed."We'll be unfrozen as soon as we arrive."
The group were then carbon frozen before getting loaded onto the shuttle and transported to the Citadel.
When Artoo's ship reached orbit above Lola Sayu, they were questioned about their cargo by the tactical droid, K2-B4 who belonged to the Citadel's warden, Commander Osi Sobek.
The ship and its cargo passed the scan, and landed in a cavern near the Citadel, where Artoo's battle droids unload and thaw out the strike team.
In the Cavern…
Anakin, Obi-Wan and the Clone Troopers got unfrozen from the cabinets they were in.
However, the strike team didn't even realise that Ahsoka and Nadia had themselves carbon frozen and secretly came with them.
"Hey, Snips and Kitty."Anakin murmured.
"Hey, Master."Ahsoka answered.
Nadia groaned and stretched her arms a little bit.
"Miss us?"Nadia grumbled.
Anakin was surprised to see Ahsoka and Nadia as Obi-Wan recovered slowly from being carbon frozen.
"I must have carbon sickness because I could swear that's Ahsoka and Nadia."Obi-Wan complemented.
"Your eyes are fine."Anakin assured and then looked at the two girls with a small glare."It's both Ahsoka and Nadia's hearing that needs help."
"We received orders to join the team."Ahsoka reminded."We thought you knew."
"Orders?"Anakin questioned."From who?"
"We discussed it with Master Plo."Nadia admitted brightly.
"He didn't tell us, young one."Obi-Wan replied in a stern look.
"You two were already in carbonate."Ahsoka admitted.
"Well, we gave you both a specific order not to come."Anakin said with a hint of anger.
Both Ahsoka and Nadia simply smiled at Anakin's unhappy reply.
"If there's one thing Dia and I learned from you, Master."Ahsoka declared."It's that following direct orders isn't always the best way to solve a problem."
A smile then appeared on Obi-Wan's face.
"I see Anakin's new teaching method is to do as I say not as I do."Obi-Wan chuckled and looked at the two girls."Welcome aboard."
Both Ahsoka and Nadia smiled at Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan, Anakin, Nadia and Ahsoka alongside the Clone Troopers were preparing to leave the cavern.
Anakin looked at Artoo.
"Guard the shuttle, Artoo."Anakin ordered."We'll contact you when we're ready for takeoff."
Artoo gave Anakin a beep.
Anakin then followed the group and took out his binoculars.
"I see the entry point."Anakin admitted.
"You were right."Cody agreed."The wind conditions are too strong for jetpacks."
"Yes. We'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."Obi-Wan admitted."With ascension cables and a steel grip."
"I don't think so."Anakin replied.
"What do you mean?"Obi-Wan asked.
"Electromines."Anakin reminded."There's nowhere to put a grappling hook at that height and we hit one of those, the mission's over. They'll know we're here."
"I suppose that means we free-climb it."Rex admitted.
The team then started climbing on the wall and made sure they did not get electrocuted by the electromines around.
As she climbed with the rest of the strike team, Nadia began to remember climbing the tall mountains of her hometown back in Corellia with her father as a little girl.
If only-
Nadia immediately blocked the thoughts she was thinking in her mind.
She was in the middle of an important mission.
It wasn't time to get nostalgic.
"Hanging in there, Snips?"Anakin asked.
"Couldn't be better."Ahsoka replied and looked down."I could do without the wind though."
Nadia stood close to Obi-Wan as they followed the rest of the group.
"The entry point is just a few more meters."Obi-Wan stated.
Obi-Wan climbed at the top and went down when he saw a destroyer and two battle droids come out.
The Jedi Master then signalled Nadia, Anakin and the rest of the strike team to be quiet.
Then the three battle droids went back in and the door got ray shielded.
"They locked the door."Obi-Wan informed."It's ray-shielded."
"Ray-shielded?"Anakin scowled."That wasn't the plan."
"Well, it's in the plan now."Nadia admitted and looked at her best friend."Soka, did you find anything?"
Ahsoka looked up and spotted a ventilation duct.
"There's an opening up there."Ahsoka stated.
"We know."Anakin replied."They're ventilation ducts. But they're far too small for us to gain access."
"Too small for you maybe, but me and Dia think can squeeze our way through."Ahsoka informed.
Nadia smirked at her best friend's idea.
"Good plan."Nadia commented.
"Well, we hadn't planned on, Ahsoka and Nadia being here."Obi-Wan admitted. "Perhaps she's right."
Anakin nodded as the two girls climbed towards th air shaft and squeezed through it.
Inside, Ahsoka and Nadia jumped down from the ceiling and successfully deactivated the ray shield, letting their Masters and the Clone Troopers through.
"See, we can handle ourselves."Ahsoka said with a smug look.
"And we're not little kids."Nadia sneered.
Anakin didn't say anything as he walked passed the two girls.
The Clone Troopers slowly climbed up to join Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka and Nadia.
However, not all of them made it up.
"Charger!"Fives shouted.
Charger lost his grip and fell on one of the electromines, meeting his end.
This caused the alarm to be set off.
"Well, they know we're here."Obi-Wan admitted.
The group went inside as Ahsoka and Nadia watched the enemy unit's ran off.
"Clear."Ahsoka stated.
"Take out their surveillance."Anakin ordered.
Fives then fired on one of the security camera.
Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka and Nadia then activated their lightsabers to deflect the laser blasts while the Clone Troopers took down the rest of the enemy weapons with their blasters.
"The walls are electrified!"Cody shouted."Go! Go! Go!"
The four Jedi and their strike team headed to safety from being hit by the electrified shield, but Archer got killed.
"We must keep moving."Obi-Wan stated.
Then the strike team went to a cell, where they took down the battle droids and saw Master Piell held in a stasis device.
"Master Piell, are you alright?"Obi-Wan questioned.
Master Piell simply frowned at seeing Obi-Wan upon him arriving late to his rescue.
"Obi-Wan."Master Piell snarled."What took you guys so long?"
"At least your sense of humor is still intact."Anakin scoffed.
"It takes more than they got to break me, Anakin."Master Piell stated.
"So you have the coordinates for the Nexus Route?"Anakin asked.
"I got them alright, half of them anyway."Master Piell explained."My Captain's got the other half, I erased the computers when we were boarded and had both of us have memorised part of the intel that way. If somehow I cracked, the information would be useless to them without the other half."
"Where's your Captain?"Obi-Wan questioned.
"Being held with the other officers I assume."Master Piell replied."But I must warn you. He's not a pleasant man."
"We're going to need a new plan for getting out."Anakin admitted.
The five Jedi were about to escape until they got surrounded by enemy droids from each side.
Master Piell, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka and Nadia then activated their lightsabers while the clone troopers had their blasters ready.
The droids started blasting and tackling the group.
One of the droids tackled Nadia to the floor, making her drop her lightsabers in the process.
"Get off me, you wimp!"Nadia growled in disgust.
Nadia used her Force Judgement to destroy the battle droid with ease before retrieving her lightsabers.
Master Piell, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka and Nadia continued deflecting the laser blasts.
"We need to keep moving."Obi-Wan stated.
The group then heard an awful shriek causing them to cover their ears.
Then a magnet caused their weapons to go on top of the roof along with Anakin due to his mechanical arm.
Anakin then screamed in pain when he gets shocked by a field of purple electricity.
Nadia gasped in shock.
"Anakin!"Obi-Wan shouted.
"Master!"Ahsoka called out.
The shrieking suddenly stopped as Sobeck's evil laughter was heard.
Then four Commando droids surrounded the group with their blasters raised in their hands.
"You fools! I hope you enjoyed the reunion with your fellow Jedi."Sobeck cackled."Because you're going to be my guests for a very long time."
"They're magnetized."Obi-Wan said.
"Then let's do with my idea on the plan, Master."Nadia suggested.
Obi-Wan nodded at Nadia.
Master Piell, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka and Nadia then used the Force to push the Commando droids.
Anakin tried to get his lightsaber, but got electrified again.
Despite Sobeck electrocuting him, Anakin managed to reach his lightsaber and disable the magnets, enabling the others to retrieve their weapons.
The Jedi and the Clone Troopers then proceed, fighting the Commando droids with their weapons again and eventually destroyed them.
Rex rushed over to Anakin and helped him up.
"Are you all right, sir?"Rex asked.
"Yeah."Anakin assured."Let's get out of here."
The Jedi and their team rushed to a prison cell as the two girls took down the two Commando droids that held the prisoners hostage.
Among the other officers was Piell's officer, Captain Wilhuff Tarkin.
Captain Tarkin stood up from where he sat and stood with the other officers.
"General Piell."Captain Tarkin said simply.
"Captain Tarkin."Master Piell replied.
"I never thought I'd see you again and you brought friends."Captain Tarkin complemented.
Master Piell introduced Obi-Wan, Anakin and the two girls to Captain Tarkin.
"Captain Tarkin, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and their apprentices Nadia Aomori and Ahsoka Tano."Master Piell introduced.
"Now that you've found us, how do you expect to get us out?"Captain Tarkin questioned with a unfazed tone."If they've locked this fortress down, there's at least ten squads on their way. It's going to be impossible to escape."
Ahsoka and Nadia shared a glance with each other before an idea came to Obi-Wan's head.
"What if we split up?"Obi-Wan suggested."Nadia's and my team will create a diversion while Anakin and Ahsoka lead the others away that way. If one of us is captured, the enemy will only have part of the information and not all of it."
"General Kenobi, I think it's better if we stick together."Captain Tarkin admitted."A stronger force would have a better chance of protecting the information."
"Not in this situation."Obi-Wan said firmly.
"But surely we'd have more strength in numbers rather than divide us."Captain Tarkin clarified.
"Obi-Wan has a point."Master Piell stated."I'll go with him and Nadia. You go with Anakin and Ahsoka."
Afterwards…
In the hallway, Obi-Wan and Nadia were leading Cody, Master Piell and most of his officers away from Sobeck's battle droids that attempted to stop them from escaping.
"Hey!"A battle droid yelled out.
A couple of battle droids attempted to chase after the group and paused upon noticing the blinking bombs planted in the hallway.
Nadia smirked mischievously at the battle droids before pressing the button of the comlink on her wrist.
"Bon voyage!"Nadia laughed brightly.
Obi-Wan and Nadia quickly left as the whole hallway exploded as the battle droids were sent flying in smithereens.
"That was fun!"Nadia sneered.
"Now let's just hope Anakin, Ahsoka and their team headed it out of the Citadel!"Obi-Wan informed.
After Obi-Wan and Nadia's distraction worked, Anakin and Ahsoka prepared to flee with Captain Tarkin and the Clone Troopers accompanying them.
Anakin and Ahsoka had their lightsabers out incase Sobeck and his Commando droids showed up.
The Jedi Knight then cut a hole in a wall which opened into a cavern system which were included in the scant information from the Jedi archives.
"Everybody in."Anakin insisted.
The Clone Troopers went out as Ahsoka and Nadia went forward.
"This is one of the original fortress tunnels."Rex complemented."The advantage of old archive data."
Ahsoka headed to check if there were any enemy droids approaching.
To her relief, there weren't any due to Obi-Wan and Nadia's success.
"The tunnel's clear."Ahsoka remarked.
"Looks like Nadia and Obi-Wan's distraction worked."Anakin assumed."Things seem to be going as planned."
Captain Tarkin, however, was highly skeptical of the plan and openly voiced his criticism.
"It's when things don't go as planned that concerns me."Captain Tarkin replied sternly."What then?"
"It's when things don't go as planned that we Jedi are at our best, trust me."Anakin responded.
"I reserve my trust for those who take action, General Skywalker."Captain Tarkin declared firmly.
"Then let me remind you, we rescued you back there and Commander Aomori, our best friends and I reserve our trust for those who understand gratitude, Captain Tarkin."Anakin informed in a firm tone.
Captain Tarkin and the rest of the officers walked away while the Clone Troopers closed the tunnel entrance.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter
See you later in the next one:)